The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-07-14
The REVISED VERSION.
What Was Expected Of lt--f;"as""s "hs
1t Failed TO Become Popular.

1t Failed TO become Popular.
Six 1ears have rasscd since the revised YER
sion of fbe New Testament was given to the
L,,,I.l, s,eak!ao s<orid For almost de-
,o,jn ottc1I. had. i,ef. directed to tho place
whore The scholars in cl1alrrc of the great I'll
dcrtakiEg were pursuing Their WORK. us
somDlct:o:I wa regarded rs an epoch III re-
,JioioI, history. Many believed that millions
JvoulJ be interested in the new version who
had never carefully studied the Old. Some
thought that it would result III Il general re-
'rivoI of RELIGION. The translation was almost
universally commended by biblical scholars
md flcol0gians Great praise was bestowed
OH tLp men who were so long engaged on the
difficult work Large Sums were offered lof
early coJJics 1nc uunIDer sold during few
months was enormous.
Bat the rcvi ed version failed to st1pcrSe'ie
the old one. 1t Eai never bceu synohcaiy
approved by tic established Church OF Eng
land that took The Initiative III Its lroduc-
ton. 1t has never been formally adopted ll$
auy Protestant denomination for pSe Ill
churches and Sunday schools. 1t Is rarely
read ut family 'ievo;ionS Few writers or
speakers, lay or clerical quote 1t. 1t may
almost be sniI to lInve paSaAsl out OF slshl anu
mind. Why was il dQpInet t. such failure!
Mr.. John l;ultoIi undertakes TO answer tho
Forum. The reasons hc assigns are that too
many changes were iutroduced to SUIT some
aud not enough to satisfy others. lie also
thinks that the poetry of many passages was
impaired 10y giving them too literal transla-
ton 4 certain degree Of ob5curity serves to
give a charm to the expression of pOctical
sentiments. No one IS pleased with Il likeness
of II person made 10y measuring his features
and reducing them to Il certain scale.
These things may hayc had something to
do With preventing the new version from be-
coming popular. But obviously other causes
contributed to its future. Persons who arc
radical or progressive on other matters are
apt to bo very conservative on everything
that pertains to religion. Then n certain ven
Grafton attaches to the authorized version OF
King James as well as to the suDjc matter
itself In every household the Old family
bible in which arc recorded the births mar
riagcs, and deaths Of several generations, Is q
sacrcd book Ii neglected. at other times, it
is read on occasions of affection and adversely.
Consolation is sought from it. The nOblcot
sentiments cluster around it.
Thousands Of passages from the Old or es-
tablished version have been incorporated into
the classic literature OF the language, and they
cannot DC revised Still more passages have
'I tpliIfoLOiISF1 uIIl pht
a vandul hand would erase them, for to do 50
would be a sacrilege. Old and well loved
hymns abound i'll phrases taken from tho old
version, and they cannot DO changed TO con
form to the new translation without destroy
ing their melody. The old version must re-
main, for it exists in many forms. 1t will
only go out of use when the English language
Ceases to lie spoken 1t will live and help pre-
serve the force and vigor of the languauge OF
shbcrty.-Chica9o Times.